Mains

Mains has a number of meanings:

• the cables or pipes (typically laid underground) carrying a service to consumers, usually electricity (see Mains (electric power)), gas, or water (sometimes sewage disposal). "Mains" may be distinguished from the connections to end users (eg the mains runs down the street, whilst the connecting pipe runs from the street to the property), although the distinction is sometimes ignored. Mains services are often natural monopolies.
• in British English, the service supplied through such cables, especially electricity: e.g. "my laptop is currently running on mains electricity" or "my drill runs off the mains".
• a special type of mains are traction power networks for the supply of electric trains with traction current used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some areas around New York.
• the central steading of a townland (fermland)